Billiards on AsNard is resolved on a real table: ball collisions, cloth friction, cushion rebound and the spin you put on the cue ball are all simulated server-side with a fine time step. That is why "kind of close" does not exist here — the ball either drops or it does not.
This guide covers 8-ball versus 9-ball, the break rule, the full foul list, and how english actually changes the cue ball's path.
Game facts
| Players | 2 |
| Variants | 8-ball and 9-ball |
| Race length | 1, 3, 5 or 7 racks |
| Turn clock | 30, 45 or 60 seconds |
| Aim guide | Assisted (on) or professional (off) |
| Ranked | Its own 8-ball ELO ladder |
| Spectate and replay | Both available |
The break: the first shot has a rule
A break is not just hitting the rack hard. In 8-ball a legal break must either pot at least one ball or drive at least four balls into a cushion. If neither happens, it is a foul and your opponent gets the cue ball.
Potting the 8 on the break does not win — and does not lose — the rack: the 8 is re-spotted and play continues. If the cue ball drops along with it, that is a foul.
8-ball: group first, then a called pocket
- The first legal pot after the break decides whether you are on solids or stripes.
- Until your group is fixed, hitting the wrong ball first is a foul — so use your first two shots to play clean, not to score.
- Once your group is gone you are on the 8, and at that moment you must call the pocket. Sink the 8 in an uncalled or the wrong pocket and you lose the rack — even if you were comfortably ahead.
- Potting the cue ball with the 8, potting the 8 early, or closing the 8 on a foul are all instant losses too.
9-ball: order, not choice
In 9-ball the cue ball must contact the lowest number first, but that ball does not have to be the one that drops. You may legally combo another ball into a pocket off the lowest one. Potting the 9 legally wins the rack; if the 9 goes in on a foul it is re-spotted.
That makes 9-ball faster and more combination-driven than 8-ball, and more fun if you are good at setting up the next shot rather than polishing one ball at a time.
Fouls that end your turn
- Scratch: the cue ball drops in a pocket.
- No contact: the cue ball hits nothing.
- Wrong ball first: the first thing touched is not yours (or not the lowest number in 9-ball).
- No rail: after contact no ball reaches a cushion and nothing is potted.
- Ball off the table: a ball leaves the playing surface.
Keep one rule in mind: three consecutive fouls lose you the rack. When the table starts fighting back, one safe, simple shot beats one heroic attempt.
Spin: steering the cue ball
You can strike the cue ball off-centre: top (follow) to keep it rolling after contact, bottom (draw) to pull it back, and left/right english to change its angle off the cushion. Controlling that is the difference between "the next ball is sitting up" and "my next ball is hidden behind one of theirs".
- Hit the centre when you want a predictable line; every millimetre off centre multiplies the angle error.
- Learn the spin reset key so leftover english from the previous shot does not steer the next one.
- Manage power separately from spin: heavy spin with heavy power makes the cue ball run, not stop.
Controls
- A/D or arrow keys: rotate the cue in 1.5-degree steps.
- Alt: half a degree, for the final alignment.
- Shift: coarse 5-degree steps.
- Q/E: move the contact point on the cue ball in small steps.
- C: clear spin.
- Space or Enter: charge and release the shot.
Switching the aim guide off hides the projected line. That is the professional setting, for players who want to read the reflection angle themselves.
Common mistakes
- Only thinking about your own ball: every shot should also answer "where does the cue ball stop?". Position after the shot is half of the next shot's plan.
- Trusting the aim guide on a ranked table: it shows the angle, not the real effect of your spin and power.
- Racing the clock: expiring time is a foul, and the opponent places the cue ball where they like.
- Not calling a pocket on the 8: the most common bizarre loss in 8-ball, and it happens while you are winning.
What is different on AsNard
- Table size, pocket widths, cloth friction and cushion restitution all live in the server simulation, so results cannot be rolled back or nudged.
- Ranked 8-ball runs on its own ELO ladder.
- Voice chat is active in a billiards room, and you can spectate other tables.
- Highlight replay lets you rewatch the tricky racks and see where the cue ball should have stopped.
- There is both a full 3D table and a lighter view, so it runs on weaker hardware too.
Start from the Billiards page and walk into the lobby — free, no install.
